“It was too late in the end.”
After returning from Heinrich’s hideout, Amon explained the situation to the Pope.
“I suspect it was a demon.”
There was no evidence left behind.
All the CCTVs had been hacked, and no convincing physical traces remained.
However, there weren’t many beings in the world capable of not only locating a hideout no one knew about but also executing a hack so flawless that no trace was left behind.
It was so perfect that the irony arose—the very perfection of the crime revealed the culprit.
“This time, it must really be a demon of Goetia.”
The new Pope nodded at Amon’s explanation.
The previous Pope had been assassinated due to Heinrich’s schemes, and the newly appointed one was from the moderate faction.
The corrupted faction had been annihilated, and the hardliners were half-destroyed due to Heinrich.
It was only natural that the moderates took power.
“I understand. Then, for the time being, the Holy Knights will continue searching for the whereabouts of the AIs.”
[Each must bear their own burden.]
Galatians
At the end of the papal decree, the Pope inscribed a verse from the Bible.
Lifting a candlestick, he let red wax drip onto the document.
The wax fell onto the paper, and the Pope pressed his ring firmly against it.
Rolling up the decree, he handed it to Amon.
“From this moment, I appoint you as the head of Vatican Special Bureau Section 11.”
Vatican Special Bureau, Section 11: ‘Simon.’
The emblem—a fish and a saw.
The Vatican had long operated a secret division of Holy Knights, split into sixteen sections.
The naming convention was based on the Twelve Apostles, along with the Archangel Division that Sonia’s mother had belonged to, and three nameless apostles.
‘Those three…’
They were likely Amon’s predecessors.
And now, the section being handed to Amon—Section 11—was deeply connected to his doctrine.
‘The fish symbolizes crossing the sea, and the saw represents judgment.’
Section 11’s mission was to eliminate heretics outside of Europe.
The Pope passed the mission decree to Amon, who accepted it with care.
“I will spread the love of the Lord across the world.”
Before handing over the document, the Pope hesitated slightly—though Amon dismissed it as his imagination.
And so, Amon unofficially became fully affiliated with the Vatican.
It was unofficial because his operations weren’t exactly clean.
After all, no special bureau in the world publicly revealed the identities of its agents.
Amon tucked his Section 11 identification card into his pocket and headed for his quarters.
On the way, he took a moment to organize his thoughts.
‘I was never interested in ranks… but things have changed.’
Now, it was no longer the time to speak of freedom.
One couldn’t preach freedom in a world engulfed in flames.
Moreover, due to the recent incident, the Vatican was critically short on combat power.
Many Holy Knights had either perished or retired, leaving the Vatican struggling against demons.
Meanwhile, the world had begun to hail Amon as the hero who had saved it from the monster Laplace.
Considering the people’s expectations, the Vatican’s situation, and the undeniable threats at hand, Amon ultimately chose to accept the position.
‘It’s not because I want to hunt demons freely.’
He reminded himself repeatedly that he was a pacifist as he reviewed his newly granted authority.
‘The first privilege—extra-legal authority.’
‘Hunting—no, purifying—demons in foreign lands often led to minor legal complications, which the Vatican would now handle on his behalf.’
‘The second privilege—the power of appointment.’
‘Due to the previous incident, Section 11 had very few Holy Knights remaining.’
As a result, Amon had been granted the authority to bypass standard procedures and recruit members on the spot.
There were other minor privileges, but these two were the ones Amon valued most.
As he organized his thoughts on his authority and potential recruits, he found himself arriving at his quarters.
***
“I’m home.”
“You’re back?”
Cassie greeted him, dressed in a white shirt and dolphin shorts.
Through the slightly sheer fabric, a faint hint of pink was visible for a moment—but Amon chose not to comment.
She took his coat.
“I always wanted to do something like this.”
Despite being a future chairwoman, Cassie had a surprisingly romantic side.
Amon smiled gently at her and pressed his lips to hers.
As he pulled away, Cassie, still unused to such gestures, blushed and turned her head away.
Leaving her behind, Amon headed to the kitchen.
“Mmm, something smells good. What’s for dinner?”
In the kitchen, Sonia was cooking, wearing only an apron over her underwear.
Originally, she had wanted to wear nothing but an apron, but since they were in the Vatican, she had compromised to avoid blasphemy.
As Amon approached her from behind, Sonia rested her head against his shoulder.
“Potato salad, stew, and lipeni.”
“Squid sundae?”
“Oh, right, that’s what they call it in Joseon. You liked it last time, so I made it again.”
“That must’ve been a lot of work.”
“It wasn’t too hard.”
Chuu
“Go take a shower. Dad’s coming soon.”
Amon nodded and headed for the bathroom.
When he emerged, drying his wet hair, he found two women who had changed into fresh clothes—and a priest with squinted eyes, looking distinctly displeased.
“Take a seat.”
With a voice full of discontent, the priest pulled out Amon’s chair for him.
It was clearly a subtle protest against Amon adding another lover alongside his daughter.
But since he wasn’t in a position to openly oppose Amon, all he could do was grumble on occasion.
Thus began Amon’s final meal in the Vatican.
***
“So, the Section 11 appointment was finalized today.”
Amon spoke as he stabbed a piece of squid sundae with his fork.
Cassie paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, and asked, “Have you decided on your next destination?”
“I’ll probably head back to America for a while.”
He popped the sundae into his mouth.
Every time he ate it, he marveled at how people had managed to recreate squid’s texture using insects.
Even more amazing was how the public had steadily embraced it.
As Amon pondered this, Sonia joined the conversation.
“What about the Tomb Trial?”
She was reminding him of the real reason they had come to the Vatican.
Amon’s response was…
“I’m not ready yet.”
The tomb of the first protagonist had been turned into a dungeon, now used as a training ground for strengthening Holy Knights.
However, no one had yet managed to clear even a mid-boss, let alone the final boss.
“I visited once, and from what I saw, the Holy Knight Captain is still struggling at the mid-boss level.”
Even though Amon was stronger than the captain, according to him, the mid-boss was on an entirely different level.
Amon thought that with luck or a surprise attack, he might be able to win.
‘But against the mid-boss?’ There was absolutely no chance.
“So I’m going to postpone the attempt for now.”
Despite saying that, Amon’s face was filled with excitement.
The fact that he still had room to grow—and, more importantly, the means to achieve that growth—thrilled him.
Seeing his expression, the two women beside him shook their heads as if they had given up on trying to stop him.
At that moment, the priest with squinted eyes, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“If you don’t have any other plans, would you like to join me on an exorcism mission?”
“An exorcism mission?”
“Yes. The Hunt Legion period is approaching.”
“Hunt Legion?”
Amon tilted his head at the unfamiliar term.
“What is that?”
“Ooh! I know this one!”
Suddenly, Sonia excitedly raised her hand and jumped into the conversation.
“It’s like the Wild Hunt, right? The one where ghosts appear in huge numbers!”
“Wrong. That’s not it, Sonia.”
The priest lightly tapped his glass, signaling her mistake.
“Of course, in everyday terms, they’re often considered the same. But among exorcists, we strictly differentiate between the two.”
The priest glanced around the table, checking if anyone else was familiar with the topic.
Even Cassie seemed unfamiliar with it.
Only then did the priest begin his explanation.
“Hunts occur worldwide, regardless of nationality. In the West, it’s called the Wild Hunt. In America, it’s the Procession of the Night. At sea, it’s the Flying Dutchman. In the East, it’s Bakuiyah—”
“Do you mean Hyakki Yagyō?”
“…Amon, have you been to the East before? Your pronunciation is spot on.”
Amon brushed it off with a vague reference to YouTube, Japanese culture, and Joseon pop.
Though somewhat unconvinced, the priest continued his explanation.
“These phenomena mostly occur on summer or winter nights in regions steeped in long-standing resentment. Ghosts form a procession, haunting those areas.”
They were most commonly seen in slums, red-light districts, or under oppressive regimes where large numbers of people had died.
These events could generally be prevented with regular purification rituals, making them a lesser concern for exorcists.
“In contrast, the Hunt Legion has nothing to do with vengeful spirits. Of course, ghosts appear, they form a procession, and anyone who witnesses them suffers harm—just like with the Wild Hunt. But the outcome is different.”
With the Wild Hunt, those who witness the procession have their souls torn from their bodies and are forced to join the march.
But with the Hunt Legion…
“They get possessed.”
The spirit leading the procession forcibly takes over the body of the first person it sees.
Since the spirits all compete to seize a host, they trip and fight each other for the front position.
Unlike the orderly march of the Wild Hunt, the Hunt Legion is absolute chaos.
“Because of that, Hunt Legions move much slower compared to the Wild Hunt.”
There was no way to stop this phenomenon.
Since it appeared without vengeful spirits, purification rituals did nothing.
However, it could be predicted.
“During Walpurgis Night, ghosts will manifest somewhere in the world. About a week before that, possession incidents increase tenfold in certain countries. When that happens, exorcists worldwide gather in the affected region.”
“The entire world sends exorcists?”
“Yes. If the ghosts aren’t exorcised and escape, they account for 90% of all possessions worldwide for the next year.”
Amon nodded, now understanding.
The priest then made his proposal.
“We just identified the target location yesterday. Would you be interested in joining us?”
Amon quickly checked his schedule.
‘Any fortuitous encounters he needed to chase?’ No.
‘Any places he had to visit?’ None.
‘Any prior commitments?’ None.
It was April 30—exactly the time of year when his schedule was the most open.
Still, Amon hesitated, wondering if he had forgotten anything.
Misinterpreting his pause, the priest spoke in a tone that was almost pleading.
“We’re short on exorcists due to the recent incident. If we don’t contain this, ghosts could spread worldwide.”
“What happens if we fail?”
“Well… probably the same as in the Old Testament—countless people possessed by spirits.”
Hearing that, Amon’s internal scale tipped toward going.
He exchanged glances with Sonia and Cassie.
Both gave him approving nods.
With their agreement, his decision was sealed.
But Amon didn’t nod immediately.
‘This is fun.’
He just wanted to mess with the priest a little.
His reactions were too entertaining to pass up.
(The fact that he was also his father-in-law was a minor issue, not worth considering.)
So Amon asked playfully, “Where are we going?”
“Joseon! This year’s Hunt Legion will take place there. It’s an important region for the Vatican, so we must prevent it at all costs.”
“Is that so?”
The mention of Joseon made Amon’s heart race.
“Then… what’s in it for me?”
At that question, the priest recalled Amon’s past.
Specifically, the time when he had taken on Hexen Group’s inheritance—where he had even forfeited part of his commission just to secure a deal on high-quality meat.
A strategy for Amon formed in the priest’s mind, and he spoke.
“I’ll make sure you eat Joseon food until you’re stuffed.”
“I’m in.”
Amon answered immediately.
A victorious grin spread across his face.
‘Sorry about your wallet, Father… But no matter how much money you have, food always tastes better when someone else pays for it.’
***
However, the priest was one step ahead of Amon.
‘Hah. That’s what you think. But what will you do when I charge it all to Section 11’s budget?’
The real reason he wanted Amon along—
He needed Amon’s authority.
As he had mentioned before, exorcists often struggled with finances.
They stayed in motels instead of hotels, ate instant meals instead of local delicacies, and during Hunt Legion missions, they often survived on cheap gruel while spending all their funds on survival gear.
‘Every time I returned after a year, I’d be half-dead from exhaustion.’
That was why he needed Amon.
Since Amon was Section 11 itself, his presence meant their expenses could be charged to the Vatican.
And by sticking close to Amon, the priest could enjoy luxury hotels and fine Joseon cuisine—on the Vatican’s dime.
In the process, he could act like he was treating Amon to extravagant meals… while in reality, it was all being expensed.
‘This is a flawless plan.’
Feeling slightly guilty, the priest rubbed his hands together with a sly grin.
But even above the priest… there was Cassie.
‘Poor priest…’
She could see it clearly through the Red Thread.
[Why…! Why did you do this…?!]
She had no idea what Amon had done in Joseon.
But from the glimpse of the future she had seen, one thing was certain—
Cleaning up the mess would be the priest’s job.
And somewhere in that process…
The priest would start taking stomach medicine.
‘Well, he brought this upon himself.’
Cassie decided it was best not to mention the future she had seen.